University of Galway has announced the establishment of the Ward & Burke Centre for Infrastructure Research & Innovation following a significant investment from leading engineering multinational Ward & Burke.
The investment is being made as part of a new Signature Partnership between Ward & Burke and the University, building on many years of research collaboration.
The commitment from Ward & Burke, a world-leading engineering company with its head office in Kilcolgan, Co Galway, will allow for significant advancement of research, impact and innovation in sustainable, intelligent and resilient infrastructure at the University.
As part of the Signature Partnership, the new Ward & Burke Centre for Infrastructure Research & Innovation is being established to build on existing strengths at the University’s School of Engineering across civil and mechanical engineering, water and wastewater research, geotechnics, construction innovation and data driven engineering technologies. Some of the focus of the new research centre’s work will be on water systems, underground construction, climate resilience and digital engineering.
Alongside the new research centre a new civil engineering professorship has been created, with Established Professor Brian Sheil, an alumnus of University of Galway, appointed as the first to hold the role. The research centre will be led by Professor Sheil and Professor Eoghan Clifford, Head of Civil Engineering. It will enable the University to attract new world-leading faculty, researchers, postdoctoral researchers and PhD students.
The Signature Partnership with Ward & Burke will also see the establishment of a new, ambitious scholarship programme to build the pipeline of talented and innovative engineering students.
Padraig Burke, Director at Ward & Burke, said: “We are delighted to build on our long-standing relationship with University of Galway through this investment in establishing the Ward & Burke Centre for Infrastructure Research & Innovation. At Ward & Burke, we’ve always believed that the future of engineering lies in solutions that are not just technically excellent but genuinely sustainable- from lowering carbon footprints to building infrastructure that stands the test of climate change. This Centre will accelerate collaboration between industry and research, helping to drive innovation that delivers real, long-term environmental and societal benefits. We’re proud to support this initiative and look forward to seeing the transformative impact it will have.”
The Signature Partnership was unveiled at a day-long event hosted at University of Galway on the anniversary of the birthday of one of the University’s greatest engineering graduates, Michael Maurice O’Shaughnessy, whose distinguished legacy lives on in San Francisco through water, rail and other major infrastructure projects, as well as the Golden Gate Bridge.
Professor David Burn, President of the University of Galway, highlighted the wider impact of the initiative: “This transformational philanthropic commitment from Ward & Burke marks a major milestone for University of Galway and for the future of civil and infrastructure engineering in Ireland. The new Ward & Burke Centre for Infrastructure Research & Innovation spans three of the University’s four research pillars and is a powerful demonstration of strategic investment in our people, teaching and research. By attracting world-leading faculty and establishing a new Civil Engineering Professorship, this partnership will educate the next generation of engineers and drive innovation with real-world impact.”
Professor Laoise McNamara, Head of the School of Engineering and incoming Vice-President Research and Innovation at University of Galway, said: “The establishment of the Ward and Burke Centre for Infrastructure Research & Innovation reflects the longstanding collaboration in research and education with the company and Civil Engineering at University of Galway. We are proud that Ward and Burke was founded by our engineering graduates who, over the past 25 years, have grown it into one of the most innovative infrastructure companies driving wastewater treatment, energy infrastructure and urban regeneration solutions worldwide. Today, the company employs more than 1,200 people, across Ireland, the UK, Canada and the US. The establishment of this Centre will enable us to recruit and develop world leading researchers and deliver impactful research, benefiting large-scale infrastructure projects in Ireland and internationally.”